Food trade deficit to shrink

SIBU: Sarawak will seek to industrialise its agricultural sector to address its increasing food trade balance deficit, says Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.

He said Sarawak’s food trade balance deficit had been going up in the last five years – in 2021, the state recorded a deficit of RM4.65bil, compared with RM3.86bil in 2018.

The industrialisation would involve shifting the sector from being associated with low income and unskilled jobs into a high-income profession that would attract youngsters and professionals, he said at the closing of a three-day Senior Officers’ Conference on Friday night.

Stephen said emphasis would be given to setting up more and larger designated farming areas, improving productivity, and strengthening the food supply chain.

Others would be improving support systems and services, increasing farmers’ knowledge and skills, and ensuring market compliance.

He added that agencies under his ministry had to come up with KPIs (key performance indicators) that should be presented to him frequently.

The KPIs, he said, would include ensuring food security, industrialising the agrofood sector, strengthening farm infrastructure, distributing and marketing agriculture products, uplifting the livelihood of farmers and rural communities, strengthening agro-commodity development, and unlocking the potential of Native Customary Right land for agriculture.

“The KPIs that are set must be in line with our direction, in which the activities and development stages have to be monitored closely,” he added.